Qatari ambassador to Cairo recalled following Egypt’s airstrike in Libya

CAIRO: Qatar has recalled its ambassador to Cairo in response to what it has described as “unfounded accusations” made by Egypt’s delegate to the Arab League (AL) Wednesday, Foreign Ministry sources told Youm7.

The decision came hours after an AL meeting Wednesday over Egypt’s air strike on the Islamic State (IS) group’s targets in Libya.

Egypt’s representative to the AL Ambassador Tariq Adel reportedly accused Qatar of “supporting terrorism and deviating from Arab consensus” following Qatari delegate’s reservations over an official statement of the meeting that hailed the strike.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry stated Wednesday that Doha’s reservation is based on Egypt’s “unilateral decision to carry out air strike in Libya without consultations with other Arab countries,” according to QNA.

Following the meeting, the AL has issued a statement expressing its “complete understanding” over the airstrike in Libya, according to Youm7.

The Egyptian Air Force Sunday bombed Islamic State group targets in Libya’s eastern city of Derna hours after the group released a video showing the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Copts had been kidnapped in early January.

Relations between Egypt and Qatar have been strained since the military ouster of President Mohamed Morsi in July 2014 over mass protest against his regime.

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi called on the United Nations Tuesday to adopt a resolution mandating international military intervention in Libya.